WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF.—Although environmental conservation is an important topic across the globe and, in response, many hotels have implemented environmentally friendly programs at their properties, nearly one-half of European hotel guests are unaware of them, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. The study found that a large majority of hotel guests (77 percent) who are aware of the environmentally friendly programs their property offers say they willingly participate in them. However, while 49 percent of European hotel guests say that they knew of their hotel’ conservation programs during a recent stay, almost...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center announced that the property has won the Grand Prize at the 2007 Metafore Innovation Awards. This prize is awarded to the company that offers product and service innovations for reducing or offsetting climate change through new methods and processes. The prizes recognize companies across the United States and internationally. The awards were announced at the 2007 Corporate Climate Response Conference in Chicago. This two-day conference included a panel discussion by the awards finalists, as well as presentations on sustainability and climate change strategy by experts representing companies such as Ford...

HONOLULU, HAWAII—Outrigger Hotels & Resorts received top honors for its commitment to the marine environment in the Travel and Tourism Business category of the Third Annual Hawaii’s Living Reef Program Awards. Sponsored by the Coral Reef Outreach Network, the award recognized Outrigger’s responsible stewardship of sensitive shoreline areas, and its ongoing collaborations with various government agencies and nonprofit organizations dedicated to preserving Hawaii’s environment. The award was presented to the hotelier at a special ceremony held on September 21, 2007, during which Outrigger was commended for its support of multiple public education efforts about the environment, even though the environment...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Applications are now being accepted for the prestigious IMEX Green Awards, developed by IMEX and the Green Meeting Industry Council to recognize environmental excellence and innovation within the meetings industry. The IMEX Green Awards are the only awards of their kind for the meetings industry. The IMEX Green Meetings Award will go to a meeting planner that has made a significant effort to reduce the environmental impact of a particular event or meeting. Applications for the IMEX Commitment to the Community Award are welcome from anyone involved in a meeting or event that demonstrated innovative efforts to benefit a...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Consumers will soon be able to identify high-performance, water-efficient sink faucets for their bathrooms now that EPA has released a product specification for ones that use about 30 percent less water than conventional models. “EPA’s WaterSense program just made it easier for consumers and communities to save money, energy, and water one tap at a time,” says Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. “Water efficiency is the wave of the future and WaterSense bathroom faucets will turn a trickle into a stream of savings without sacrificing performance.” In order to earn the WaterSense label, faucets must be...

FRESNO, CALIF.—Furthering its commitment to responsible resource management, Delaware North Companies has recently developed a Green Order Guide to assist associates in identifying environmentally friendly products available through various suppliers. The new guide is designed to help associates find the most earth-friendly products available. It also educates associates by listing what makes the item environmentally safe. “We’re just in the initial stages of this project, but it’s something we’re already very proud of,” says John Huey, director of sustainability and environmental affairs for Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts. “Not only are we helping our associates make environmentally responsible...

NATIONAL REPORT—When it comes to wallcoverings, designers, hotel owners, purchasing agents and others have not always had the most environmentally friendly choices. Vinyl—polyvinyl chloride or PVC—years ago included heavy metals and solvent inks. Today, however, it is a different world and 90 percent of heavy metals have been eliminated and water-based inks are used. Some wallcovering makers still tout vinyl’s durability and value, and one has even started recycling it, but others are now offering non-PVC alternatives. One company that has made a big splash at trade shows in the past year with its recycling initiative is LSI Wallcovering, Louisville,...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts Inc. announced it will be providing Good Food on a Grand Scale by serving natural, hormone-free meats and poultry and organic dairy products in casual on-mountain restaurants at its five resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado and Heavenly in California and Nevada beginning the 2007-2008 ski season. The company believes Vail Resorts will serve more meals made with natural meats and certified organic dairy products each year than any other restaurant operator in North America and that the effort will be the largest undertaking to offer these products in the travel industry. To...

LAS VEGAS, LOS ANGELES—The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP (JMBM) announced cosponsorship of the only hotel summit designed to provide senior executives with a comprehensive program that examines both the compelling economic benefits and some of the daunting practical challenges of green hotel development. The annual summit will focus on bringing together the hotel industry’s top leaders and its most experienced developers. The upcoming conference will emphasize economics, current case studies, costly mistakes, brilliant successes, financing and valuation issues, consumer trends and offer a “how to” (or “how not to”) approach...

NEW YORK—Maxon Holdings LLC (Maxon), a leading energy and environmental development company, announced a partnership with Earthpark, North America’s first center for science literacy and the environment. Maxon will provide $10 million of in-kind financial and technical support toward the completion and opening of Earthpark, scheduled to open on Earth Day, 2011. Maxon will give this support through its infrastructure asset financing operations, part of the company’s asset optimization business. Maxon’s contribution will facilitate ongoing support and involvement with educational and research efforts in the areas of global sustainability and restorative living practices. Earthpark also announced at the 2007 Clinton...